The Horse Bug

If you're reading this chances are you were bitten by it too. The horse bug. Something non-horsey families usually hope is 'just a phase'.
I was bitten by it young. My family always seemed to think I'd grow out of it. You know, when school or boys or cars or life came along.
As most of you know it didn't go away. Yes I enjoy the rest of the stuff that came along (although I still don't have my 'dream car' lol) but horses are a part of my life and I'm thankful that they are.

This past Sunday Pie & I took our niece & nephew out to see the horses for the first time.
No I haven't been a slacker auntie. (or thea as they are Pie's brother's kids therefore we are Thea Lisa and Theo "Pie")
Pie and his family grew up with NO animal contact. No pets, not even fish. His parents are kinda old-school Greeks, "animals are dirty" blah blah blah. His sister-in-law doesn't mind cats (although little Georgie is allergic) and small (emphasis on SMALL) dogs. (so yeah not my dogs lol)
G & C (Pie's brother & his wife) are not too keen on the whole "horse thing". I can understand, horses are large and powerful. They can be unpredictable. Even with the most "bombproof" horse there is an inherent danger.
But their daughter, Maria, is starting to get the itch. And G & C finally let us take the kids out to visit with the horses.
Little Georgie wasn't too thrilled. He was kinda scared and just watched. Maria on the other hand was jumping up and down and screaming (happy screams) when we picked her up and told her where we were going.
I made sure to mention jumping up and down and screaming are not allowed around the horses :)
I wasn't sure what Maria would do once face to face with the horses. Georgie hanging back and watching didn't surprise me. Maria on the other hand got to see what horse shoes look like (we have a ton of used ones in the barn) Then she got to see what they look like ON the horse (Applejack very nicely picked up a front foot when we said "foot please" so she could see them and how they were attached.
Then Maria learned how to feed cookies (Georgie's ears perked up at that, he thought it was kinda neat that horses have cookies)
Although it was very blustery and cold Maria was in heaven.
She was feeding horses cookies and getting to touch them!!

Here she is with theo petting Applejack while he eats his (very teeny amount of) grain.

Almost forgetting the "no jumping" rule lol

Theo asked her if she wanted to sit on the horse and next thing I knew he had tossed her up. I went over to check on her and Pie snapped this.

Of course she had to sit on Cessa too!

Helping Pie (theo) help Cessa get the last of her beet pulp/oats.

Maria is already looking forward to coming again, when its warmer (or she's dressed better). She didn't complain once about the cold... she was worried I'd go make her sit in the truck!

("Its okay thea, the cold didn't bother me until the horses left" ummm, yeah I think she's got the bug!!)